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Translation: Oh My God, Temple Gardens Mineral Spa and Resort is fabulous for Living Communications team retreat or girl getaway

You know spring fever has hit when the thought of being chained to your desk one single minute longer makes you explode. At Living Communications, I am always quick to give advice and my first rule of thumb is: Take a break when you need one. This will only make you more effective in the long run.

Heeding my own advice (how often does that happen?) I asked a member of my team what we need to shake things up at LC. Answer: Girl Getaway aka Team Retreat.

Temple Gardens Mineral Spa in Moosejaw Saskatchewan is THE place to decompress, destress and mobilise muscles you forgot you have with masseurs fit to bring you to your knees (for hip flexor stretches, of course) after soaking in the rooftop thermal pools with mineral waters piped in from thousands of feet below the surface.

Our retreat was a memorable mix of healthy, naughty and very useful. Weaving structured work time into play, I returned to my desk with renewed energy, vision, both a wish and to-do list, and fodder for future stories.

Of course there were many pitstops along the way. First among them was Outlook, to walk across Canada's longest pedestrian bridge at 156 feet above the South Saskatchewan River. Outlook is one of my favourite Day Break destinations any time of the year, and is one of Canada's best-kept secrets. The snow and ice of winter are as dramatic as the green and sand of summer stretching below in the broad river valley.

We took the small fluffy white mop in the backseat, aka American Eskimo puppy, across with us. Jasper enjoyed the 1.5-mile return trip and 'terrorizing' other walkers with his yipping and irrepressible romping. Next stop was Craik where we lunched at the Eco-Centre made from wheat straw bales with up to an R-50 insulation factor. The post and beam timber construction relies on passive solar energy that penetrates to the interior concrete slab floor. A beautiful structure, we were however disappointed that the lunch menu did not feature local or vegetarian options-a wasted eco-opportunity given the thrust of the centre. The biffies were cool, composting toilets that smelled fresh! Apparently red wriggler worms hidden from view are an essential part of the process.

With evening fog enshrouding the Jetta, we decide to take an unanticipated night over at the Hotel Saskatchewan-the place to stay for business or pleasure in Regina. The heritage hotel oozes with decorum, charm and comfort, from the chandeliers to the newly renovated rooms featuring 'twee' vinyl wallpaper just like in jolly old England. The real bonus: set the mattress to the softness you prefer with a Sleep Number remote control, and woofy dog can sleep in his own bed in your room.

I took in the Infrared Sauna and whirlpool in the fitness centre, while others wandered the nearby pedestrian mall, took a Guiness in O'Hanlon's genuine Irish Pub, or visited the palatial Regina Casino with live entertainment in the lounges.

We reconvened to share notes in the hotel at the Monarch's lounge for a Mediterranean Platter with three kinds of hummus and Chilean Merlot. Final call: There is much to do on a Saturday night in Regina, something for everyone, all within safe, walking distance of the hotel.

The Monarch's lounge is also a great place for a Sunday breakfast meeting over complimentary continental brunch in soft leather seats by the fireplace and superlative coffee. Later we drove through the 'Village,' where eateries and shops like Creek in Cathedral Bistro and Cuppa T map out the hip factor, beckoning me to return this summer when I can wander these same streets in warm sunshine.

Time to hit the road to our final destination: Temple Gardens Mineral Spa and Resort in Moosejaw.

The heart of Moosejaw is a heritage town, with historic colourful murals dotting the downtown core, and home of the underground tunnels where Chinese immigrant workers lived in the 1880s. The Tunnels tour is a must, but not for the severely claustrophobic. Imagine all those people living underground.

I gasped in the open air and took in the open healing waters of TGM outdoor hot rooftop pool with the cooling breeze on my face and snow on the patio. You never know who you will meet in the pool. I met one of Moosejaw's literati-First Nations writer Barb Frazer. We played 'Do-you-know-who-I-know?, discovering that we do indeed know quite a few writers and leaders in the aboriginal community in common, while the waters penetrated to our cores. Warning: Don't let good conversation make you forget, the pools should be taken for only 20-minute increments interspersed with short rests or showers.

The Swedish Massage using Comfort Zone products at the Sun Tea Tree Spa was extraordinary. Ladies: If squeamish about male massage therapists, get over it! Those buff muscles are for more than show. These guys are trained professionals with the strength to penetrate layers of stress, aches and pains.

Wildflower Aromatherapy wraps help warm the area pre-massage and if purchased are great at home or office for wrapping around your shoulders when you work at the computer: I highly recommend them.

Our muscles loosened and relaxed, we slid into the Harwood's Dining Room for melt in your mouth mushroom caps stuffed with blue cheese soufflé, savoured wild mushroom gnocchi and Cashew vegetarian paella and imbibed in a Snow Cosmopolitan made with Cointreau instead of Triple Sec and white cranberry juice. Chef Robert Martin, new onboard has given the restaurant an excellent updated menu-lift.

I started the next day fresh with an in-room Jacuzzi with piped in thermal waters and a Signature Spa treatment. The Monticelli Mud Wrap is your best bet for full body treatment combining detoxification with moisturizing from head to toe-a full 90 minutes.

You wish you could linger longer, but in your heart, you know that you are now complete and it is time to head home. Let someone else drive while the full effects of the treatment wash over you.

The TGM motto: 'Come for the warmth of the waters, stay for the warmth of our people' is well deserved. The service is exceptional, you feel part of a healthy family not a customer, and will return many times no matter where you live in the world.

My new motto is: Double business with pleasure whenever possible, for what is the new economy but a world of possibilities where we can convene over bridge walks, breakfast buffets or thermal pools instead of email, meetings and conference calls, leveraging different hats and talents. Work with people who can do the same and make your next corporate retreat strategic with all the hits you need to bring the best out of your team and business. Or forget all that stuff, and just go for a Girl Getaway, Family Vacation or Guy Get Together.